Method of and apparatus for transferring carded material



- Sept. 18, 1928. v 1,684,890 J. F. SCHIMEK METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FORTRAN SFERRING C ARDED IATBRIAL Filed April 1927 2.Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept.18, 1928. 1,684,890

J. F. SCHIMEK METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRI-NG CARDED MATERIALFiled April 9, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J06 6 0/1515 (/1 z'melf- CatPatented Sept. 18, 1928.

'UNETED sra res earner or-r cs. j

JOSEIH F. SCHIMEK, OF VIORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE AS-SIGNMENTS, T0 VJI-IZTIN MAGHENE XVURKS, OE WHITINSVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS,

A COBPOEATLION OF, MASSAGHUSETTS.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS EGR TRANSFERRING CARDED MATERIAL.

Application filed 9,

My invention relates generally to the art of carding and for its objectto provide an improved method of. and apparatus for. transferring cardedmateriahsuch as wool, cotton, or other staple from one carding machineto another.

In Patent No. 1,610,209. issued to me on December 7, 1926. there isshown and described a method of, and apparatus for. transferring cardedmaterial, which is characterized by the distribution of the cardingsfrom the doifer cylinder of the first machine to oppositely movingreceiving aprons which blend the cardings into web for transferal to thefeed table of the second carding machine. As set forth in my abovementioned patent the cardings a-re'distributed obliquely with re spectto the oppositely moving receiving aprons, whereby the cardings aregatheredinto a web. the edges of which are thinner than at the middlethereof. so that when the web is laid on the receiving table of thesecond carding machine adjacent folds are in nesting relation. Inoperation, the apparatus of-my aforesaid patent is adapted to form aloose web without substantial. disturbance of the parallel relation ofthe fibres. so th atquality of the staple is preserved when the web isacted on bv the second card. and means are also provided for varyingboth the width and thickness of the web to meet varying condi-. tions ofoperation and quality of staple.

According to the presentinvention. 1 provide a carding apparatus thatoperates on.

somewhat the same general principle as the apparatus shown in myaforesaid Patent No. 1,610,209. the apparatus of the present inventionbeing particularly characterized by its compactness and adaptability tomeet conditions where the space bet-ween the ends of adjacent cardingmachines is limited. In the apparatus of the present invention. thecardings are take directly from the doffer cylinder and distributeduniformly upon oppo-. sitely moving aprons which build the cardings intoa web of uniform cross-section through their cooperation with gatherinrolls located opposite the center of the doifor cylinder and belowtheaprons; The web i s then conveyed, without twisting. to apointimmediately above the receiving table of the second carding machine.

By my invention, width and thickness of 1953?. Serial No. 182.408.

the web is adapted tobe controlled through very simple adjustments ofthe receiving aprons and their. associated gathering rolls, and theentire apparatus is characterized by the fact that the distance whichthe cardings have to travel in being transferred from the doifercylinder of the first machine to the feed table i1 I of tnesecondmachine, 1s reduced to a minimum, all as will hereinafter more fullyappear with reference to the accompanying lmilding them intoa web.

Fig. 8 is a view in front elevation showing that portion of theapparatus which is 1 attached to the frame of the carding machine.

' Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating parts of the manner ofdriving the parts shown in I Fig. 3.

5 is an enlarged end view of the parts shown in Fig.3.

Fig. 6 is a. diagrammatic View illustrating in plan thehandling of theweb from one cardingmachine to another.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

' Referring first to Figs. 1 and 5, a portion P I e or the first cardingmachine lsshown at A and comprises a main card cylinder land a doffercylinder 2 which is adapted to strip the carded fibres from the maincylinder 1. One end frame of the carding machine is indicated at 3 and ashaft 4 is rotatably supported by the frame 1 with its axis parallel tothe axis of the doffer cylinder 2. The shaft t provides number offingers 5 for carrying a dofiing knife 6' and the shaft 4 is adapted tohave an oscillatory movement imparted thereto which will cause the knife6 to remove the cardings in sheet form-from the cylinder 2 as the latterrotates in the chrecti'on of the'arro-w and deliver them to thegathermgand transferring device which will nowbe described.

As-best shown-in'F1gs.:3 and 5 each frameof the carding machine providesa bracket which extendsall the way'ac'rossthe front ro'risupportingtheend portions 8 of a beam' vides a'number of slots 9 and 10 at differentlevels in which are received bearings 11 for supporting parallel shafts12 and 13 in different horizontal planes. The shafts 12 and 13 carryrolls 14 and 15 respectively, and

der 2 will. slide down the shield 17 and fall on' the aprons .16. Thelower shaft 13 of each apron 16 carries a sprocket wheel 13 around whichpasses a chain 18 adapted to be driven from a sprocket 19 on a shaft 20located below the shaft 13. The shaft 20 is journalled in a bearingsupported by the beam 8. and is connected by bevelled gearing 21 to ashaft 22 supported in front of the aprons 16 by brackets 23. The shaft22 extends laterally in front of the member Sand is adapted to berotatably driven by gearing. 24 from a countershaft 25. The shaft 25 isdriven from a source of power, preferably derived from the cardingmachine, by means of a pulley 26, and it is obvious from Fig. 4, thatwhen the shaft 22 is" so driven, the upper surfaces of the aprons 16will move toward each other, as indicated by the arrows.

The shaft 22 also carries a roll 27 between the brackets 23,: and asbest shown in Fig. 5, the roll 27 carries a belt 28 which extendsrearwardly underneath the aprons 16, where it passes around a roll 29."The. roll 29 is supported by extensions 30 of the brackets 23, and anidler roll 31 is also supported by the bracket extensions 30 with itsperiphery spaced fromthe belt 28 as it passes over the roll 29 back tothe front roll 27. The rolls 29 and 31 are driven in unison and at thesame speed as the roll 27 by means of a chain 32, see Fig. 2, passingaround sprocket wheels 33 mounted on the shaft 22 and on the roll shaft29., respectively. The roll shaft 31* also car ries a sprocket wheel 34,the lower periphery of which isengaged by the chain 32,50 that the roll31 will be driven: in a direction of rotation oppositeto that of theroll 29.

From a consideration of Figs. 1 and 6, it

is evident that when the carding machine is operating to drive the shaft22, the sheet of cardings from thedofl'er cylinder 2 will be removed bythe vibrating knife 6; and will fall upon the oppositely moving surfacesof the aprons 16. The movement ofthe aprons 16 will tend to gather thecardings in the space at B between the ends of the aprons 16,

fromwhence the gathered cardings will pass downwardly between theoppositely moving rolls 29 and 31. As this occurs the cardings will betransformed from an arrangement in sheet form into a continuous web, thewidth of which is determined by the distance between the aprons 16 atBand the thickness of which is determined by the space between the rolls29 and 31, or between the belt 28 and roll 31. The fact that the rolls29 and 31 are positively driven in opposite directions, as

indicated by the arrows, insures that the web will be delivered easilyto the apron 28 which will in turn convey it to the front roll 27, whichis turning in the same direction of rotation as the rear roll 29. 7

As indicated in Fig. 5, the belt 28 is very loose, the underside of thebelt being supported substantially tangentially to the rolls 27 and 29by means of a guard 35.v By thus supporting the lower side of the belt28 the upper surface thereof is relatively slack, so that the web is notclosely pressed against the underside of the roll 31. In other. words,the belt 28 "is not necessarily driven at the same speed as the rolls 27and 29, and in cases where very long staple is being handled the belt 28may be even omitted. In this latter event. theguard 35 prevents the webfrom saggingtoo much as it passes from the roll 29 to the roll 27. -Theweb is held to the upper surface of the roll 27 or belt 28 by means of aroll 36 supported between upwardly extending arms 37 of the brackets 23.An apron 38 passes around the roll 36.

and extends upwardly around a ro1l39 supported by a bracket 40 extendingfrom a. ver-.

tical post 41 carried by the beam 8. A second apron 42 extends parallelto the apron 38 and is supported at its top and bottom by rolls 43 and44 respectively, while a third apron 45, supported on rolls 46 and 47,extends substaitially at right angles to the aprons 38 an 42.

One end of the shaft 22 carries a pulley 48 which is connected by a beltto a correspond- .ing pulley 49 on, the shaft 50 of the roll 46.

Consequently the apron 45 is driven in the same direct-ion as the apron.38, that is, away from the carding machine, while the aprons 38 and 42are driven in opposite directions from the shaft 50 to cause theiropposed surfaces to move upwardly and confine the web therebetween. 1

The apron 45 is adapted to deliver the web to the receiving table 51'ofa second carding inachine, the Web being distributed laterally on thetable 51 by means of a reciprocating head 52 operated by mechanism whichforms no port of the present invention above mentioned Patent No.1,610,209.

From a consideration of Fig. 1, which inbut is fully shownand describedin my dicates diagrammaticall the entire course of the carded material,it -1S obvious that when 3 my apparatus is in operation the cardings"are gathered into a fiat web by the operation of the aprons 16 inconjunction with the rolls 29 and 31, the web being formed withoutsubstantial alteration of the parallel relation of the fibres of theca-rdings.

forward and upwardly without any of the twisting which has characterizedthe transfer of cardings in previous machines, this result beingaccomplished by the arrangement of all the conveying rolls on parallelaxes. Furthermore, the fact that the web is at sub stantially the centerof the doffer cylinder 2 permits the web to be conveyed to a pointsubstantially above the center of the feeding table of the secondmachine without changing direction, in other words, in the shortestpossible line of movement.

As previously pointed out, the width of the web is determined by thewidth of the space B between the aprons 16, and in order to adjust thiswidth, means are provided for shifting the pairs of rolls 1% and 15. Tothis end each bearing 11 is adjustable in its slot 9 or 10 by means ofa. stud 53 threaded into a lug 54 provided on the beam 8. By turning astud 53 the entire bearing and shaft may be shifted laterally within theslot 9 or 10, so that the space B between the aprons 16 can be veryaccurately adjusted to control the width of the web being formed.

I claim, I

1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with the doffercylinder of a carding machine, of a pair of converging and downwardlymoving aprons, having a substantial gap therebetween, and spacedsurfaces located in the gap beneath said aprons movable about axesparallel to the axis of the doffer cylinder, whereby to gather cardedma. terial into a ribbon, the width of'which is determined by the gapbetween said aprons.

2. In apparatus of the class described in claim 1, a pair of aprons,rolls over which said aprons travel, a support for said rolls, andadjustable journals in said support, whereby the rolls can be adjustedin position to vary the effective length of the aprons, or the distancetherebetween.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with the dofiercylinder of acarding machine, of a pair of converging and downwardlymoving aprons, having a sub- As the web is. formed at the rolls 29 and31, it is carried stantial gap therebetween, and spaced surfaces locatedin the gap beneath said aprons movable towards each other about axesparallel to the axis of the do-ffer cylinder, where by to gather cardednaterial into a ribbon,

the width of which is determined by the gap between said aprons and thethickness of which is determined by the distance between cylinder, of apair of oppositely driven rolls located in the gap beneath said aprons,a third roll located in front of said aprons and a belt looselyextending between one of the first named rolls and the third roll,whereby the carded material delivered into the gap by the aprons isformed into a ribbon which is conveyed fiatwise on said lower belt to apoint in front of the gathering aprons.

5. The improvement in the handling of carded material, which consists inremoving the carded web in sheet form from the dofler cylinder of acarding machine, immediately moving side portions of the carded webdownwardly in opposite directions towards an un disturbed central websection where the side portions intermingle with the central section andthen conveying the ribbon thus formed flatwise forwardly and upwardly toa position over a second carding machine, the said fiatwise conveyal ofthe ribbon taking place in a straight line as viewed in plan.

6. The improvement in the handling of carded material which consists inremoving the carded web in sheet form from the doffer cylinder of acarding machine, dropping a central section of the carded web directlyupon surfaces moving away from the doffer cylinder and simultaneouslygathering the remainder of the web on surfaces moving towards thecentral section, thus forming a flat ribbon the thickness of which isdetermined by the distance between the central conveying surfaces.

Dated March 30, 1927. v

' JOSEPH F. SCI-IIMEK.

